2001 Volvo S60 review from North America

Upon delivery headlamp bulb connector was loose, water pump was leaking, turn signal lamp out, hesitation when accelerating from stop.

I purchased a 2001 S60 2.4 Base engine from a midwest dealership on E-Bay. I won the auction at $12,000 (U.S.) and considered the price to be excellent since most dealers were charging $15,000 - $17,000 retail for a similar car. The car came equiped with moonroof, heated leather seats, 15-inch wheels (ugh) with some worn tires. This is an interesting car. Being the non-turbocharged engine, I was worried that the car would be quite slow. It is very lazy off the line, but has more than adequate highway cruising abilities and can pass other without too much effort. I immediately traded out the 15 inch wheels for 17 inch alloys with new, wider tires. There was a vast improvement in handling. The purpose of this car was to have a daily driver that would be economical, comfortable, safe, and still carry some style along. This car is hands down, the most comfortable vehicle I have owned. Ergonomics are excellent and the front seats will get you across long distances without any distress (I'm 6 feet 2 inches and tall in the saddle.)

The stock stereo is excellent and the one-tough power windows and moonroof operate flawlessly. This is not a fast car on the low end, but it will cruise quite nicely with a satisfying hum. My other vehicle is a Mercedes CLK55 AMG and while there is no comparison as far as performance goes, I often find myself taking the Volvo simply because of its comfortable, relaxing manners. I am fortunate to have a unique color, Maya-Gold, and am often asked about the car at gas stops. The dealership service has been exceptional. The car needed a new water pump (this was stated from the onset from the seller) and the service was not cheap. However, the dealer set an appointment, kept it, gave me a loaner car (s40), and had the repair done the next day. Cost of repair was $569. I have yet to have any other problem arise since (5k miles later). The car has mainted 26 miles per gallon, mostly city driving! Expecting somewhat of a dressed-up economy car, this vehicle has been growing on me quite strongly. My Mercedes is being a bit neglected. I look forward to rounding the 100,000 mark within the next few years. If you see an S60 in good shape, and want an extremely comfortable daily driver, I would highly suggest this car.